G2 True Archives
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Contents
- 1. Installing
- 2. Setting up
- 3. What the settings mean
- 4. Archiving production orders
- 5. Restoring a production order
- 6. Copying from an archived production order
- 7. Archiving assembly and transfer orders
- 8. Faithful sales, purchase, service and project archives
- 9. Attachments on archives
- 10. Keeping archives tidy
- 11. Frequently asked questions
- 12. Licensing
1. Installing
G2 True Archives is a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central extension from G2 Systems Group. Install it from Microsoft AppSource into your Business Central environment.
- In Business Central, choose the search icon and enter Extension Marketplace, or install directly from the AppSource listing.
- Find G2 True Archives and choose Install.
- Wait for the installation to finish, then refresh your browser.
2. Setting up
After installing, set up what gets archived. There are two ways in, and both lead to the same settings.
The setup wizard
Search for Set Up True Archives to open the assisted setup guide. It walks you through a few steps:
- Welcome — a short description of what the app does.
- Production orders — choose when production orders are archived automatically.
- Attachments — choose whether attachments are copied to archives for each document type.
- Production extras — choose whether production notes, links and comments are kept.
- Assembly and transfer orders — choose the settings for those documents.
- Finish — choose Finish to save your answers.
The setup page
Search for True Archives Setup to see and change every setting at any time. The page groups the settings under Production Orders, Assembly Orders, Transfer Orders and Copy to the Archive.
3. What the settings mean
The settings fall into two kinds.
When orders are archived
- Archive on Status Change — archives a production order before its status changes, and before a finished order is reopened.
- Archive on Refresh — archives a production order before it is refreshed.
- Archive on Delete — archives a production order before it is deleted. Assembly and transfer orders have their own Archive ... Orders on Delete settings.
- Auto-Archive Simulated and Planned Orders — includes simulated and planned production orders in automatic archiving. Planning often deletes and recreates these, so this can create many versions.
- Auto-Archive Assemble-to-Order Orders — includes assemble-to-order assembly orders, which Business Central creates and deletes with their sales lines.
What is copied to each version
Under Copy to the Archive you choose, per document type, whether Attachments, Notes, Links and Comments are copied.
4. Archiving production orders
Production orders are archived automatically at the moments you chose during setup. You can also archive an order yourself.
- Open a simulated, planned, firm planned, released or finished production order.
- Choose Archive Order to save a snapshot of the order, its lines, components and routing.
- Choose Archived Versions to see the snapshots of that order.
To see every production order archive in one place, open the Production Order Archives list. It shows each version with its status, number, description, quantity, due date, the reason it was archived, and when and by whom.
5. Restoring a production order
On the Production Order Archives list, select a version and choose Restore to put the production order back the way it was in that version. The order as it is now is archived first, so you can always return to it.
Restore works only into the same order while it still exists, and not for finished orders. A released order cannot be restored once it has item or capacity ledger entries, subcontracting purchase lines, or any picked component. The confirmation tells you when reservations and item tracking will be removed.
6. Copying from an archived production order
On a simulated, planned, firm planned or released production order, choose Copy from Archive... to bring lines from an archived version into the current order.
- Pick the Archived Version to copy from.
- Choose whether to Include Header and to Include Components and Routing.
The copied lines are added after the current order's existing lines. The current order keeps its own status, number and dates, and progress figures are reset. You cannot copy into a finished order, and you cannot copy a version of an order into itself — use Restore for that.
7. Archiving assembly and transfer orders
Business Central does not archive assembly or transfer orders. This app adds that.
- On an assembly quote, order or blanket order, or on a transfer order, choose Archive Document to save a snapshot, and Archived Versions to see them.
- They are also archived automatically before deletion, if you left those settings on.
- Open Assembly Order Archives or Transfer Order Archives to see all versions in a list, each with a card that mirrors the original document.
8. Faithful sales, purchase, service and project archives
Business Central already archives sales, purchase, service and project documents, but its archive pages use a different layout from the live order and lose any field that other extensions added. This app fixes both for you, with nothing to configure.
- The standard archive pages are rearranged to match the layout of the original order.
- Fields that other extensions add to your orders are captured when a document is archived and shown on the archive where the original shows them.
- Any fields that do not fit are listed in an Additional Fields factbox, so nothing is hidden from you.
9. Attachments on archives
When attachment archiving is on for a document type, each archived version keeps the attachments the document had at that moment. An Attachments factbox on the archive lists them. Select a file and choose Download, or drill into the file name, to save a copy.
10. Keeping archives tidy
The production, assembly and transfer order archives are registered with Business Central's Retention Policies, the same way the standard archive tables are. You can set a policy to remove old versions after a period. Archives whose order still exists are protected and are never deleted by a policy. All versions of an order are measured from the latest version's date, so they expire together.
11. Frequently asked questions
Does this replace Business Central's own archiving?
No. It adds archiving for the documents Business Central does not archive, and improves the archive pages for the documents it does. Where Business Central already copies comments, notes and links, that behaviour is left alone.
Will turning a setting off delete things Business Central archives today?
No. The settings only control what this app adds. They never remove what standard Business Central archives.
Why are my attachment settings off after installing?
Copying is off until you choose it, so installing the app does not change what is stored without your say-so. Turn on the document types you want in the setup wizard or on the True Archives Setup page.
Can I restore an assembly or transfer order?
You can archive, view and copy their history. Restoring an assembly or transfer order is not available; production orders can be restored.
Do archived attachments use a lot of storage?
No. An archived attachment shares the original file, so it adds a small record per version rather than another copy of the file.
12. Licensing
G2 True Archives is licensed per production environment. Licensing is handled by G2's licensing app, which installs with it.
- Free trial: the app works for 30 days in a production environment straight after installing. There's nothing to start.
- Sandboxes: always free, and never need a license key.
- Activating: search for Extension Licenses, choose the app, select Activate and paste the license key from your receipt.
More about licensing and activation →
Need more help?
Email info@g2systemsgroup.com or call +1 (604) 337-9990, with the app's name and what you were doing.